ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — a trail
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. last — to go on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com